How many sixteen-year-olds you know can tell you exactly what college they’re going to? I know one, and her name is Charlotte Chronister. Not only is she a member of Northwestern’s class of 2023, but she will also be playing on their Division I volleyball team. To those who know Charlotte, her volleyball recruitment came as no surprise. Since she was nine years old, Charlotte has been playing club volleyball. But even before then, she knew that she would love the sport. “I could not wait to start playing club volleyball because my mom has coached volleyball for many years, and I have been around the sport my entire life. But the main reason I was so eager to start club was because of my sister, Catie. She would come home from practice and talk about how much fun she had playing the sport and making new friends outside of school.  I always wanted to be like her, so I knew that I would play school and club volleyball.” Since freshman year, Charlotte has been a member of Latin’s varsity volleyball team. This year, she is a captain. Isa Lostaglio, a fellow junior and team member, describes Charlotte as “an incredibly talented player” who “manages to not only be good but great in whatever position she’s playing.” Though Charlotte’s talent allows her to perform well in many different positions, when playing for Latin, she is an outside hitter. For her club team, she’s a libero.* At Northwestern, Charlotte will also play libero because, as she puts it, “I am way too short to be a Division I hitter!” As if Charlotte’s volleyball skills were not impressive enough, she is also on Latin’s varsity soccer team. On top of her Latin sports schedules, Charlotte has volleyball club practices two or three times a week and strength/speed/agility training. Though balancing her schedule is sometimes tough, Charlotte has been doing it since middle school and is “used to it.” “I really have to make sure I utilize any free time I have during the school day so I don’t have as much homework to do when I am home or when I am traveling between [volleyball and soccer]. I also use my time on the weekends when I am not competing to work ahead.” Like volleyball, Charlotte considers soccer to be “a huge part of [her] life.” Her passion for both sports made choosing which to pursue in college difficult. Once she decided on volleyball though, the recruiting process began. “During the club season in my freshman year, college coaches would come to my tournaments to watch me play. Freshman year may seem early, but in reality it is not early for volleyball. The summer after freshman year I narrowed down schools I was interested in to about 5-6 and attended their camps. I did my unofficial visits in the fall and winter of sophomore year and then made my decision to play at Northwestern spring of sophomore year.” Charlotte’s college process, while different than most Latin students’, was no less challenging. She had many schools to choose from and found the process “a lot harder than expected.” However, she is more than satisfied with her final decision: Northwestern. “I really loved Northwestern from my first visit. I loved the campus, the team, the conference (Big 10 is the top volleyball conference in the country!), the coaching staff, the size of the school, and the academics. What set Northwestern apart was how much the coaching staff cared about me and made me feel like I really fit in their program. I’m so happy I chose Northwestern because it is the best fit for my academics and athletics, and I am so excited to be playing volleyball for more years to come!” In a couple of years, Charlotte will be dominating in the Big 10. But, for now, she’s helping lead Latin’s varsity team to victory in our first floor gym. Make sure to support her and her teammates’ homecoming game this Friday! *For those less familiar with volleyball terminology: a libero is the defensive specialist. He or she stays in the back row of the court and wears a different colored jersey from the rest of the team. ]]>